1st grade · English Language Arts · Unit 1 of 17
Blend It
Put sounds together
What your child practices
Blending sounds into words (s-u-n makes sun), counting the sounds in a word and hearing the last sound. These listening skills are the base of reading and spelling.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 1.2(A) · blending and counting the sounds in words
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Say each sound in the word.
- Push the sounds together to read it: p – i – g, pig.
- To find the last sound, listen to the end of the word.
Example: Which letter makes the last sound in “cat”? Say it slowly: c – a – t. The last sound is /t/. Answer: t
Blend It in Texas
In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 1 of 17 in 1st grade English Language Arts, before Short Vowels.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
- 1st grade guide for Texas parents
- Printable 1st grade English Language Arts sheet
- Texas report cards explained
Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
How many sounds do you hear in “bell”?
🔔bell- 2
- 4
- 3
3
Hint: Say it slowly and hold up a finger for each sound: b-e-ll.
Question 2
Blend the sounds. Which picture is it?
h - a - t
- ✋hand
- 🎩hat
- 🦇bat
🎩 hat
Hint: Say the sounds faster and faster: h-a-t… hat!
Question 3
Blend the sounds. Which picture is it?
s - u - n
- 🧦sock
- 🛷sled
- ☀️sun
☀️ sun
Hint: Say the sounds faster and faster: s-u-n… sun!
Question 4
Blend the sounds. Which picture is it?
b - u - s
- 🦇bat
- 🚌bus
- 🔔bell
🚌 bus
Hint: Say the sounds faster and faster: b-u-s… bus!
Question 5
Which letter makes the last sound?
🦇ba_- m
- n
- t
t
Hint: Say “bat” slowly and listen to the very end.
Question 6
Blend the sounds. Which picture is it?
b - e - ll
- 🚌bus
- 🔔bell
- 🦇bat
🔔 bell
Hint: Say the sounds faster and faster: b-e-ll… bell!